Capsule Reviews Of This Week's New Films
Capsule reviews of films opening this week:
"Pride" _ This swimming drama has enough buoyancy to remain afloat, though without the vigor of Terrence Howard and the charm of Bernie Mac, it likely would sink in its own sea of sports cliches. It's an underdog story we keep seeing over and over again, this time about a group of inner-city black teens in the 1970s who are molded by a selfless mentor into a winning swim team that strikes a blow for race relations and equal opportunity. Howard plays the coach and mentor who founded the swim team, with Mac as a rec center janitor who joins the effort and Kimberly Elise as a city councilwoman who goes from skeptic to believer. Tom Arnold co-stars as coach of an upscale white team that becomes the black kids' archrival. PG for thematic material, language including some racial epithets, and violence. 108 min. Two and a half stars out of four.
_ David Germain, AP Movie Writer
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"Reign Over Me" _ Even though he's 40 now, Adam Sandler easily could have continued playing Happy Gilmore or Little Nicky or any of the other characters in his arsenal of arrested development. That's what made him famous _ that's what made him popular. But he's shown a surprising amount of wisdom in deciding to grow up on screen as well as off of it, and following more mature roles in "Punch-Drunk Love" and "Spanglish," this is his meatiest yet. It's also his most maudlin. Sandler stars as a troubled former dentist who has suppressed the memory of his wife and three daughters, who died in 9/11. He runs into his college roommate (Don Cheadle) and rejuvenates an old friendship that both men need. Cheadle brings his typical intelligence and nuance to what might have been a dry, straight-man role; he could elevate anyone's game, and here, he and Sandler share a buoyant chemistry. But the film from writer-director Mike Binder ("The Upside of Anger") also requires Cheadle to draw Sandler out of his deep denial, which grows increasingly melodramatic and culminates with a bombastic climax. R for language and some sexual references. 125 min. Two and a half stars out of four.
_ Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic
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"Shooter" _ The name of the movie is "Shooter," and for a while director Antoine Fuqua is right on target with this claustrophobic tale of conspiracies, lies and double-crosses. Ultimately, though, it collapses _ as so many action films of lesser intelligence do _ into a seemingly eternal series of explosions and false endings. Mark Wahlberg stars as Bob Lee Swagger (yes, seriously), the hero of Washington Post film critic Stephen Hunter's novel "Point of Impact," which provides the inspiration here. Swagger is a reclusive former Marine sniper who's asked to take part in that tried-and-true one last job. When the U.S. government learns of a planned assassination attempt on the president, Swagger must figure out how the shooter would do it _ and then he gets framed for the shooting. With the help of an inexperienced FBI agent (Michael Pena) and the widow of his former partner (Kate Mara), Swagger outwits, outplays and outlasts dozens of heavily armed adversaries from a variety of agencies, both official and unofficial. Yes, he's a highly trained military stud, but after a while his ability to survive grows ridiculous. Danny Glover and Ned Beatty co-star. R for strong graphic violence and some language. 125 min. Two stars out of four.
_ Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic